Bandida

Ok Folks...The art of PB'ing is a complicated and painful task. First you go to your MD and get a second fill of .5 cc's to add to the 1 cc you already have. Then you take the smallest bite of food you could ever imagine..small enough for a babie's delicate mouth. You add 2 baby spoons of mashed potatoes...and voila!!!!! Instant sliming and PBing... Yup.. I finally discovered it! :faint: Painful, disgusting, unattractive and finally draining. Wow! I felt like my whole body was gonna shut down! I gotta admit I was kinda scared...and i swear it was the smallest piece of chicken... this experiece has opened my eyes and has changed my eating ways forever. When I got my first fill I could still eat a little faster but not now. I guess .5 cc does make a difference. But, for now, I guess I'm back to my liquids. Nothing wants to go down now, I guess I irritated the stoma...So, I'm waiting to see what happens..I can say this..I will be the last person to leave any table from now on!!!:kiss2:

5Jacks..i hope it wasn't my fault...:welldoneclap: I apologize for scaring you if it was...:think I didn't mean too, i was just venting......Everyone is different and reacts dfferent to fills. I can also say it was probably my fault too due to the fact that with my first fill I had hardly any restriction and got away with eating faster. i personally feel that I need the most restriciton I can get. You see my other medical conditions do not let the pounds come off as much as they should. I excercise daily (I walk 4-6 miles aday, 30 minutes on stationary bike, 20 minutes of wieghts and between 50-100 crunches 5-7 times a week)My MD and I came up with a plan that should help me and only me. If we have to deviate, so be it..but it's an individual thing...:Banane20: ..If you feel comfortable where you are then I would stay at the level you are at..If you have the trust you should have with your MD I woud also talk to him and the nutrtionist... (mine helps me inmensely)...Keep me posted..and again I'm so sorry for scaring you... Blessings!!!:kiss2:

Ok Folks...The art of PB'ing is a complicated and painful task. First you go to your MD and get a second fill of .5 cc's to add to the 1 cc you already have. Then you take the smallest bite of food you could ever imagine..small enough for a babie's delicate mouth. You add 2 baby spoons of mashed potatoes...and voila!!!!! Instant sliming and PBing... Yup.. I finally discovered it! :faint: Painful, disgusting, unattractive and finally draining. Wow! I felt like my whole body was gonna shut down! I gotta admit I was kinda scared...and i swear it was the smallest piece of chicken... this experiece has opened my eyes and has changed my eating ways forever. When I got my first fill I could still eat a little faster but not now. I guess .5 cc does make a difference. But, for now, I guess I'm back to my liquids. Nothing wants to go down now, I guess I irritated the stoma...So, I'm waiting to see what happens..I can say this..I will be the last person to leave any table from now on!!!:kiss2:

I got my second fill toady. .5 cc. (in total 1.5 cc in my 4cc band):faint: Let me tell you..DID IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!! I've discovered the uncomfortable and unattractive art of PB and slimming at the same time. HOLY SH>>>!!!!!!!!! :welldoneclap: It hurts, it's gross and I'm miserable!!!! I had 1 small teeny tine bite of chicken and 2 bites of mashed potatoes and that was it. Now I guess it kinda irritated my "stoma" and NOTHING STAYS DOWN!!!!! I'm waiting a few hours to see if I can get at least liquids down (cause it does feel like everythig came out)...SO, to answer the question of ...did you feel restriction after the 2nd filll, YUP, I sure did:eek: !!!!!!!!

Hey Cindy! Congrats on your date.:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: I had to do a liquid diet for about 10-15 days prior to surgery for shrinkage sake:eek: . I lost about 7 pounds..:clap2: it's not too bad.. .It's all worth it at the end!!! Plus, if it's gonna make the surgery less dificult all the more to go for it.. :) .I wish you the best on your journey and keep us posted!!!:kiss2: Blessings!!

Thanks for the clarification... This is the reason why I love this place:clap2: Someone can always answer questions. You Rock RockerGirl!!! :clap2:

Hi Tracy! Please don't feel discouraged. Your MD made the decision to give you the band he did because for him, it was the band you needed. Remember when the band is first put in there is no restrcition except for the swelling. Now you don't want the MD putting too much in a time because you don't want complications. Believe me, I understand where you are comming from. I can eat more than I should due to my little restriciton but I remind myself that it will come. Slowly but healthy and surely it will come. I am not a patient person and believe me I weigh myself almost daily and have slammed my scale a few times for not moving in the right direction but I am proud of my 32 - 37 pounds lost (that's how much it fluctutates) and I pray that I will be in onederland soon...I hope the encouragement helps and please don't give up.. You've worked too hard to get here!!! My prayers are with you sister!!! Blessings!!!:kiss2:

Hi mommi hammi! The swet spot (I think) is when you get to a point where you feel comfortable with what you are eating ( enough but less)and are losing weight without any problems...meaning, no PB no throwing up (obviously, if you eat too fast or swallow too soon then you can always get something stuck). This is my personal take on the sweet spot. I haven't gotten there yet, but I hope to soon. I still can eat ( alot more then what I've seen posted around here...:faint: ) I think the only reason why I haven't gained is my excercising. You'll know it when you are there (at least that's what I've been told). the leader at our support group has not had a fill for over a year...She still has to work hard at keeping her good food choices but she's kept her weight off. She syas she has found her sweet spot!! I hope this helps, at least a little...:welldoneclap:

I am glad you are doing well! Same here. I have the same (1cc in 4cc band) and my second fill is on tuesday. My MD said it usually takes 4 fills to get to the "sweet spot"...Let's see how it goes. I'm hoping it doesn't take that much for me...

CONGRATULATIONS TONYA!!!!! Keep up the awesome work!!! You've worked hard and it's payed off. I hope to be right behind you!!!!

I can relate. I only have 1 cc in and I know it's not enough. I'm hoping that with the second fill I'll be where I should be. I only feel "restriction" when I eat too fast and the food "pushes" itself through the band...:faint: yes, I know I need to slow down... How cool is it when you get to show your new you!! (i know it was your cousins wedding, but didn't it feel sooooooo good?) Especially with the X part...lol..You do look good (I saw your before/during pix) keep up the good work and thanks for all the inspiration!!! Go Tonya, Go Tonya, Go...:clap2: :kiss2:

You know that quote, how much do I love thee..let me count the ways...Well, for me and snow it's "how much do I loath thee...let me count the ways!!!!" YUCK!! Living in New England is like Forest Gump said..Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get!! (yes, I am a movieholic!) So on monday it was about 50 degrees, on tuesday it was about 55, on wednesday it was almost sixty and then thursday, beautiful thursday!!! ALMOST 70 degrees... How awesome. I was sure the winter was gone and it was time to get out the spring/summer clothes.:clap2: Well, that was a dream short lived:eek: !! Yup, It snowed/rained/sleeted and snowed some more on Friday ALL DAY leaving us with over a foot of snow and 2 inches of slush on the bottom. Yup, We got out the old snowblower, cursed and blowed for almost 2 hours!!! :faint: On a good note..I did get a really good workout blowing my neighbors driveway which is on a hill! So the only goodthing I gt from this St. Patrick's Day Nor'Easter was a good workout...and some GREAT pictures of my kids. OK..I vented now lets move on in hopes that Spring soon will be here...smooches!!!:kiss2:

HI myfoursons! Welcome and congratulations:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: !!! How are you feeling?

Hi Tracy! the way my MD explained it to me..It takes a few fills to find your "sweet" spot. The way it was explained to me was, when the band is first put in it is not "filled" with anything. It's tight but mostly due to swelling..Yes there is some restriction there and for some it's enough, but the band is completely empty. With every fill they tighten it a little more. the reason why they don't fill it all at once is due to slippage or corosion, it's too risky, and because everyone is different. Some people can feel restriction right off the bat, while others need to have there band completely filled (which will probably be me...) to get restriciton. My MD will only do 1 cc per fill in the begining to see how it goes. I had my first fill almost 2 weeks ago and I felt a lot of restriction the first couple of days and then there was less (they say it's normal becuase the stomach will swell and then in a few days the swelling will go down). I know the band is a little tighter but it's due to "feeling" the food go down. I will be getting my second fill this comming tuesday and I hope it helps with the hunger...:faint: . I'm not an expert but I hope this helps...

Yeah, i didn't know we were neighbors either! Cool! Yup, New England weather is a little, no, a lot freaky! (you should read my journal entry for today)...I have three cherubs...11 year old daughter and 4 and 5 year old boys. Yup..my weight loss has come to a complete hault!!! :faint: I fluctuate 2-3 pounds but over all..I'm stuck!!! I've lost about 37 pounds including my preop diet which have really made difference in my overall energy level and self confidence, but I can't wait to lose more. People have started to notice my loss in my face and my "belly". I had one person ask me about my "new" glasses... um, I've had these for 2 years!! I just think it's funny the way people don't dare say anything weight related and try to compliment you in any other way...DUH!!! yeah, I am overwieght, I'm losing it and now I'm telling the whole world how!!! ( i tell everyone now about my surgery) I've become this total Lap Band fanatic and talk to any one who wants to listen... But anyway, Gigi, congrats on 31.5 pounds lost forever!!! that's awesome!!! What part of RI are you from? I'm originally from Puerto Rico, grew up in in Worcester (Woosta), MA and 3 years ago bought a house in Western MA ( on the border with Springfield)..

You know that quote, how much do I love thee..let me count the ways...Well, for me and snow it's "how much do I loath thee...let me count the ways!!!!" YUCK!! Living in New England is like Forest Gump said..Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get!! (yes, I am a movieholic!) So on monday it was about 50 degrees, on tuesday it was about 55, on wednesday it was almost sixty and then thursday, beautiful thursday!!! ALMOST 70 degrees... How awesome. I was sure the winter was gone and it was time to get out the spring/summer clothes.:clap2: Well, that was a dream short lived:eek: !! Yup, It snowed/rained/sleeted and snowed some more on Friday ALL DAY leaving us with over a foot of snow and 2 inches of slush on the bottom. Yup, We got out the old snowblower, cursed and blowed for almost 2 hours!!! :faint: On a good note..I did get a really good workout blowing my neighbors driveway which is on a hill! So the only goodthing I gt from this St. Patrick's Day Nor'Easter was a good workout...and some GREAT pictures of my kids. OK..I vented now lets move on in hopes that Spring soon will be here...smooches!!!:kiss2:

Hey Metalband, yeah you are right...how funny is the fact that I grew up in worcester but live in chicopee now and people make fun of my accent all the time!! I tell them it makes me who I am, a Puertorican chic from worcester with a REALLY strong accent!!! lol. Some say I sound like Rosie Perez...:faint: Anyway, Congrats:clap2: on your decision to get "banded". I wish you the best on your journey and am here for any questions or comments you may have!!! I'm pretty new but I try my best and what I can't answer i'm sure the veterans around here will be more than happy to talk!!! Welcome and Keep us posted!!!!

Hey Shues..I'm soory you're sick. My son has strep as well as croup so I can relate. Everytime he coughs I shiver because I know how much it must hurt...Try a steam shower with a Vicks steam capsule. They really work...and yes, I just got done snow blowing my driveway and my neighbors (i'm in Massachusetts and we got 12-14 inches of snow and our ice is under it)...It's not fun...this is the only part of New England I can't help not liking!!!:faint: Thank God for snow blowers!!!!:clap2: :clap2: Good luck!!!

Yes they do...We also have a supermarket called whole foods...They have good stuff too. Would you beleive dried carrots and greenbeans really do taste good...YUM! They do!!! Good job on the treadmill!!!

Thanks:) . I'm trying...and believe me it's not easy. Having three kids that continuosly need things, it's hard to get any kind of excercise in. The good thing is that we get to them (excercising)at about 10pm and by the time we are done, we shower and sleep..and let me tell you I sleep like a baby...:faint: Yes, I do love the soy cakes..yum!!!!! My favorite are the cinnamon apple ones..my son says they taste like french toast. Even they will eat them..How are you doing? feeling? Wow, almost 2 months, can you believe it? keep me posted!!!

WOW! YOu go girl!! Isn't salsa fun. My husband and I love to dance salsa as well as merengue, bachata and others:) !!! i understand the weight fluctuation thing! It sucks!!! I'm also working on my water..I do have to say that mixing the crystal lite flavors has helped inmensely...Have a great weekend!!:kiss2:

Hey Guys! Count me in! i'd love to meet everybody:) ! Let me know the date and time and I'm game!!! Mary~i was a wreck the last few days before surgery. I even wrote a letter to my family just in case. I think with any surgery it's a scary thing. Now I'm SOOOO happy I did it. I wouldn't change anything...well, except for the gas...but it's subsiding..lol!!! Anyway, feel free to talk and express your feelings about your decision. I know it heled me inmensely to talk, talk, talk...You'll be fine!!! Be positive and positive things will happen!!!:clap2: :clap2:

Long time no post...Reason, no weight loss and very busy. Yup. A little frustrated on the no weight losss but pretty excited about the NO WEIGHT gain!!!! Yeah it sounds weird but it's true. I am very excited about another thing. I found a few new snack that are great tasting as well as healthy and full of productive calories not empty ones. My husband and I found Whole Food's Supermarkets. Ok, I would of never went into this place a few months back because it just didn't interest me. plus, I never understood what it was about. Well, guess what... I love it now!!!! i found some Soy rice cakes, some honey roasted soy nuts, dried/baked veggies that really taste yummy. Even my kids loved it. I am so pleased that my kids loved it because no we can all enjoy a healthier lifestyle together!!! I also went to Trader Joe's (also another supermarket) and found some dried fruits and fruit snack that taste like fruit roll ups and only 70 calories!!!! HOLY SH... I can fill my sweet tooth!!!! So a heads up to all those sweet tooths out there...there are other healthier and "allowed" sweets out there, we just need to look for them in the right place!!!!!

Long time no post...Reason, no weight loss and very busy. Yup. A little frustrated on the no weight losss but pretty excited about the NO WEIGHT gain!!!! Yeah it sounds weird but it's true. I am very excited about another thing. I found a few new snack that are great tasting as well as healthy and full of productive calories not empty ones. My husband and I found Whole Food's Supermarkets. Ok, I would of never went into this place a few months back because it just didn't interest me. plus, I never understood what it was about. Well, guess what... I love it now!!!! i found some Soy rice cakes, some honey roasted soy nuts, dried/baked veggies that really taste yummy. Even my kids loved it. I am so pleased that my kids loved it because no we can all enjoy a healthier lifestyle together!!! I also went to Trader Joe's (also another supermarket) and found some dried fruits and fruit snack that taste like fruit roll ups and only 70 calories!!!! HOLY SH... I can fill my sweet tooth!!!! So a heads up to all those sweet tooths out there...there are other healthier and "allowed" sweets out there, we just need to look for them in the right place!!!!!

My hubby is good like that. He loves to excercise anyway...He is a lot slimmer than I am but I got him beat on the leg strength..i used to play field hockey in high school and I used to have to do A LOT of leg strengthening..the cool thing is some of it is still there... I know how you feel about eating the "wrong thing"...:success1: I never thought I was a sweet tooth. I mean I LOVE chocolate but other candies or sweets just weren't so important...well, girl let me tell you....They call me from every where now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :faint: So now, I keep trail mix in my car and I found these cool fruit strips by Trader Joes that taste just like fruit roll ups and only 70 cals plus a lot of fiber (they are all natural dried fruits). I discovered the "all natural" supermarkets and even found some Soy Rice cakes that, for once, taste really good, not like styrofoam!!! I'm so excited!!!!!